City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation

Obituary
Ruth Weldon Bickett

Raleigh, North Carolina

Age 72.
Died 02/03/2024.

Ruth Weldon Bickett
Ruth Weldon Bickett, our beloved mother, grandmother and friend, passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 72 on January 30.

Ruth was born in Warren County, NC, to the late Claude Thomas Weldon and Elsie Boyd Reams, both local bankers. She loved her hometown but always felt she never quite fit in there, so she left to see the world as soon as she was able. In doing so, she rebelled against expectations--and never stopped rebelling. She was swept up in the hippie movement, traveled the country, and eventually settled in Raleigh. She became a true creative, finding her calling as a costumer at Raleigh Creative Costumes under her mentor, Douglas Haas Bennett. She learned dance and theatre, and produced paintings throughout her life. She eventually married, had two beloved sons and divorced.

Ruth was a complex woman. She could be hilarious, with a quirky sense of humor that charmed and sometimes bemused those who got to know her. She was kind and giving, irreverent and rebellious. She believed fiercely in social justice and loathed those who sought to accumulate power at the expense of the weak. She loved cold months, dark humor and Halloween, always making her children’s costumes from scratch. She shunned the saccharine and overly-proper. She was weird—and proudly so.

Those who entered her home would first see classy fine china displayed atop antique furniture, an elegant vintage oriental rug covering the floor, classic books carefully arranged in wooden display shelves. They would sit and chat with her a while. Then they would turn around to leave, where they would be faced with the grand finale…an elaborate wainscoted wall with, at its center, a niche holding an utterly ghoulish antique baby doll, wearing a vintage fedora. She never tired of relishing the double takes when her guests finally saw it.

She faced many challenges, struggling all her life with the physical and mental ailments that often come hand-in-hand with such a creative and unique mind. She had been sick for many years, and stayed with us much longer than any of us thought she would. But she wanted to stay long enough to watch her two sons, Thomas and Sam, who she adored, build and settle into their lives and careers. She wanted to be here to see her much-doted-on 8-year-old grandson, Cillian, grow into his personality (including countless hours of video bonding sessions during the pandemic) and ensure she would leave a little of herself behind in him.

But perhaps most of all, she wanted to hold on long enough to make sure she could go on her own terms. Her life’s road was a rocky one, but when she finally left us, she could do so knowing we were all happy and grateful for her place in our lives. In her last weeks, she got to spend a nice holiday with her sons, daughter-in-law, and grandson. She shared little joys, moments and memories with all of us. And when that was over, she knew it was time to go.

Due to her illnesses, she hadn’t painted in a number of years. But when we arrived at her home after her passing, we found on her easel a single, beautiful new watercolor work. Some of us saw in the abstract work a close up of a woman, eyes closed, resting peacefully. Others saw a bird taking flight. But we all agreed: Ruth was telling us goodbye, go in peace, and don’t worry—everything is fine.

A reception followed by a celebration of Ruth’s life will be held at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church on Sunday, February 18, at 12:30pm. In honor of Ruth’s passion for costuming, her irreverence and her sense of humor, we invite you (if you’d like) to wear your favorite vintage suit/dress, Halloween costume, or just plain ridiculous outfit. Otherwise, please come as you are.

Ruth is survived by her two sons, Thomas Bickett (Sarah) and Sam Bickett, both of the Washington, DC area, one grandson, Cillian Bickett, and many extended family members and friends. In lieu of flowers, please go vote—for progress, for the rights of women and the powerless, for equality, for democracy, and for hope.

For additional information or for service details, please reach out to the family directly.


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City of Oaks Cremation and Funeral Home is a full-service funeral home in Raleigh, serving all of North Carolina and beyond. We provide an alternative to costly funeral homes and every day we help families in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and all over North Carolina make simple, affordable funeral arrangements.

Simply having to reach out to a funeral home can feel overwhelming. Our goal is to simplify the entire funeral home experience and make the process as easy as possible. We hope to eliminate any unnecessary surprises by publishing our total cost and the services we provide directly on our website. All of our obituaries are provided free of charge as a way to help families celebrate and commemorate the lives of their loved ones.

Our Promise

Apples to Apples

Just like all other licensed funeral homes in North Carolina, City of Oaks Cremation, LLC is regulated by the NC Board of Funeral Service.


The same laws that apply to the big corporate funeral homes also apply to the modest independently owned firms like ours. All crematories in North Carolina, regardless of who owns them, are inspected annually by the state and must adhere to the same rules and laws.

Genuine Care

We're committed to providing families within our community unsurpassed service before, during and after the time of loss.


Our staff will provide clear communication to your family through each step as we move forward from the original phone call notifying us of a death to the time we deliver the urn back to your family. We will treat your family with the utmost respect, as we honor the wishes of your loved one.


We promise to make this process affordable and as endurable as possible.

State Wide

Our Funeral Home is located in Wake County NC; however, we provide our services to families throughout the entire State.


Unlike other funeral homes, we don't charge an additional mileage fee. Regardless of what county you live in, we can help your family with making simple, affordable funeral arrangements. From Asheville to Wilmington, we're proud to help families statewide.

Our Services

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Direct Cremation

$1196.75

Nobody likes surprise costs added in at the last minute. We guarantee you will not find any hidden charges here. We include everything you need for a simple or direct cremation. Simple, affordable and reliable. We have not changed the cost of our direct cremation service since we opened City of Oaks in 2012.

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Cremation with Solidified Remains

$2875.66

We offer the option of choosing how you receive your loved ones remains. Selecting our Direct Cremation with Solidified Remains option is a beautiful way to transform cremated remains into 40-60 “stones” that you can hold.

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Cremation with Visitation

$1917.84

City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation provides an affordable cremation option with onsite visitation. Nobody likes surprise costs added in at the last minute. We guarantee you will not find any hidden charges here. Simple, affordable and reliable.

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Immediate Burial

$2497.50

An immediate burial has the same end result as a traditional burial; however, we have eliminated the extra (sometimes unnecessary) services prior to getting to the cemetery. Not everyone wants an open casket for viewing or a limousine for the family. Despite the term immediate, we can move as fast as you need or as slow as you like. This option simply allows you to save money by eliminating some of the fancy extras at the funeral home.

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Traditional Funeral

$6081.48

We offer the same traditional funeral services as the big corporately owned funeral homes in the area; however, we cost about half the amount. You might consider a traditional funeral service if your family is looking for an open casket visitation, a traditional church service or a funeral service in the funeral home's chapel. A traditional funeral service can be altered to fit the needs of your family.

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Green Burial

$3033.75

This establishment is one of a select number of funeral homes who meet the criteria for providing green funeral service by the Green Burial Council; a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization working to encourage environmentally sustainability in the field of funeral service. Our Green options allow for a funeral to take place without the use of toxic and non-biodegradable materials/chemicals.

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Aquamation

$2640.59

As an alternative to traditional cremation, City of Oaks Funeral Home also offers Aquamation. The Aquamation process, often referred to as alkaline hydrolysis, uses a solution of water and potassium hydroxide to facilitate natural decomposition.

City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremations